So many pages flipped

Yes, a lot has changed since I last took this blog seriously. Back in early 2012, I was trying to shop out the NaNoWriMo novel I’d written at night, while writing about a public school system for a daily paper during the day.

I’m not really doing either any more – but don’t worry. That’s good news!

After reporting on schools for about two-and-a-half years, I switched full-time assignments to something new: These days I write a weekly feature for a few newspapers in Connecticut. It’s this sort of data-driven, social-science-themed peek into life here in Southwestern Connecticut. And it’s a ton of fun. I also recently began reporting on Greenwich real estate on the side (it’s only been a few weeks on that beat and I already feel like I could die happy after walking through the few houses I’ve gotten to explore).

And the NaNoWriMo book. Well, SMB (who, by the way, I’m living with now) is really gung-ho about me getting that ole thing all spruced up and giving it another go – or even e-publishing it. But I don’t really have time to think about that, since I’m writing a real book, for which I’ve signed a contract and everything.

Yeah, you read that right.

Earlier this spring I was approached by an editor at a publishing company who said he’s read one of my weekly features and wanted to know if I’d be interested in writing a book for his company. So naturally I googled the hell out of him to make sure this wasn’t some sort of sicko playing a practical joke on a poor girl whose only goal ever was to get a damn book published.

He was for real. The original book he pitched me didn’t really tickle my fancy, so we went back and forth a bit before coming up with the final idea: a look at how the towns of Greenwich, Stamford and Darien evolved from rural communities in the mid 1800s to playgrounds for the wealthy at the turn of the century, and the dynamic area I now call home.

I wrote a proposal and sent it in to a different editor at the publishing company and after a little give and take, I received a contract in the mail. I signed the puppy in early August and now I’ve got a book deal.

Super exciting right? Well, of course, not all that glimmers is gold, my friends. I have to write it all by Nov. 29, a challenge that I think will test me in a way I’ve never experienced before. So fasten your seat belts over the next few weeks, because I’ll likely be writing on here about the experience of putting this bad boy together.